i. Religious Unity
More than 96 percent of the people in Pakistan are Muslims. They have deep love for their faith and are ready to render any sacrifice in the name of religion. This love and devotion for Islam served as the basic motive force behind their struggle for a free homeland Pakistan. Only Islam is the basis of our survival. But living patterns of the people of Pakistan do not strictly conform to the standards set by Islam. Our social habits and rituals bear the important of un-Islamic influences we have acquired through our social interaction with other communities.
ii. Heterogeneous Character
Pakistan is not inhabited by a single ethnic group. The area which now forms Pakistan attracted people from different parts of the world; these people came here and made this land their permanent homeland. The social system which is now identified as 'Pakistani Culture' has emerged as a synthesis of Arab, Iranian, Greek, British and number of other cultural impacts.
FAMILY LIFE, CUSTOMS, DRESSES
Following are the notable features of the Culture of Pakistan.
i. Joint family system is practiced; young members of the family pay due respect to elders.
ii. Head of the family is an elderly male; women are honoured.
iii. In the rituals and customs, regarding marriage and mourning un-Islamic local traditions dominate.
iv. Common people live on simple primitive patterns.
v. Women are eligible to get their share from father's and husband's inheritance.
vi. Majority of the women is chaste and observe 'Pardah', these needs are also granted in the designing of houses.
vii. Honour and vanity are the values rated so high that people like to live and die for them.
viii. Men and women wear simple and graceful dress in daily life. Men wear sherwani and cap on formal occasions and Eids. Shalwar Kamees is the common female attire, tec with dupatta and chadar worn on head. Western dress is also used in offices and dne educational institutions especially by men.
ix. Routine diet of the people is simple. Festive food is prepared for special occasions.
x. Marriage is taken as a sacred vow that binds two individual for the whole of life. Bride and groom start their new life with the religious ceremony of Nikah. Display of the dowery, mehndi, firework extravagant lighting, singing and dancing are the un- Islamic practices, which have now become part of the marriage ceremonies.
xi. Family system in Pakistan is very sound and stable; incidence of divorce is extremely low when compared with the western society.
xii. Azan is called in the ears of the newborn just after his or her birth. Sweets are distributed amongst friends, neighbours and gifts are given to the newborn.
xiii. Neighbours, friends and relatives gather together to condole the bereaved family on the incident of death. Full helping hand is given in the fitting out of the corpse (tajheez-o- by takfeen), carrying of the body to the grave yard (janaza) and the interment. (tadfeen or burial). The bereaved family is given food by the relatives for three days.
Be Pakistani, Buy Pakistani
History bears evidence that only those nations made real economic progress, which had once decided to adopt the habit of using their indigenous products and had remained religiously committed to this vow. We do not have a commendable record of economic growth. Pakistanis have never adopted the habit of patronizing their national products and this is perhaps one of the paramount causes of our retarded economic growth. We are in an immutable habit of using imported goods instead of using locally manufactured items. Of course, imported goods, sometimes, are used for lack of local alternatives available, but generally this is done only to satisfy our sense of vanity and personal pride. Due to this habit enormous amount of our foreign exchange gets out of our hands. To check this outflow of our precious foreign exchange, the government and the people should join hands to evolve an economic culture based on the slogan 'be Pakistani, buy Pakistani'. To reduce dependence on the imported goods following measure are recommended as initial steps:
i. The leaders of public opinion should serve as a role model for the people by publicly announcing to abandon the use of imported goods.
ii. Standard of the local products should be improved and brought at par with the
imported good. In this case people will feel less tempted to purchase foreign products.
iii. To improve the standards of indigenous products tax holidays and other incentives should be provided to the local manufactures.
iv. The media should be employed for creating awareness among the people. People should be told that they should 'be Pakistani, buy Pakistani' and that this is the only way to make our nation economically strong and stable.
